Hollywood
Hollywood BO expects three tentpoles to gross over $50 million over the weekend
MUMBAI: Hollywood box office seems to be glistening bright with the industry expecting the three tentpoles raking in over $50 million over the weekend. Leading amongst the three is Pixar‘s 3D toon prequelMonsters University with an opening of $25 to $28 million on Friday. While sources predict the animated flick to gross over $75 million, it is certain to be Pixar‘s second highest opening ever, even bigger than Cars and outsellingBrave, but behind Toy Story 3.Monster University is currently playing in 4,004 screens across 35 territories.
Placing No. 2 is Paramount and Skydance Productions‘ World Z which is looking smart at $20 million Friday and $50 mn – $55 mn over the weekend. This comes as a relief to the studio after all that pre-release bad buzz for Brad Pitt‘s zombie picture. Brad‘s zombies are crawling across 3,607 theatres world-wide.
Following closely is the last week‘s top opener Man of Steel with $17 million – $19 million. The ner Bros‘ and Legendary Pictures‘ red capped superhero soared across 4,207 screens with a world-wide collection of over $200 million in its first week and is expected to gross over $50 million over this weekend too.
Astonished by the performances, Hollywood executives comment that there‘s never been a 3-day weekend with 3 different movies doing $50 million domestic box office. Their statistics show only one original movie a year opening over $50 million since originals play better than franchises on account of people discovering them over the coming weeks.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
